


We need to talk.

by blackandbluegrayson



Series: Bat Family Tumblr prompts [3]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics)
Genre: Big Brother Dick Grayson, Damain not ready to be a big brother, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Insecurity, batcat baby in the making
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-24
Updated: 2018-01-24
Packaged: 2019-03-08 20:19:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13465809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackandbluegrayson/pseuds/blackandbluegrayson
Summary: “Is this about Bruce and Selina expecting a child?” he asks softly. That was the new has fallen yesterday and that what has brought his younger brother here in the first place.The look on Damian’s face is answers enough.





	We need to talk.

**Author's Note:**

> I have a beta but English is not our first language to neither of us. So if there is mistakes pleases let me know. Only way I can learn.

“I already told Alfred earlier, I didn’t see or hear from him.” Dick says holding his cellphone between his ear and shoulder to unlock his apartment door. Not easy taste with his duffle bag on the other shoulder “I just arrived home. I will check here and then head for Gotham.” 

He listens a moment as he pushes open his door and put his sports bag on the ground. “Of course B, I will call if I find him.” He rolls his eyes so hard that he pretty sure Bruce hears it over the phone. He frowns when he realizes that his security system is already turned off. “Look I gotta go. Talk to you later.” He says quickly and hangs up.

He’s pretty sure who is already there but he didn’t take any chance. He closes the door slowly without a noise and reaches in his bag to get one of his escrima sticks. Quietly, he makes his way in the main room on his guard. He frowns when he sees the living room empty and in the same state he has left it before going on the mission with the Titans.

“Your security is really lacking.” The familiarity of the young voice is the only thing that stops him from lashing out.

Dick turns his head toward the source of the sound. Damian is sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of tea in front of him. He lets out a sigh and throws his escrima stick on the couch. “Damian. What are you doing here.” 

“Your kitchen is least like a war zone than the living room.” He answers as he takes a sip of his tea. 

Dick rubs his face. “Not what I mean. Look I’m always happy with you dropping by but normally you let me know beforehand.” He didn’t mention that their father is looking for him all over Gotham, he feels that talk about that would only make Damian run again.

“We need to talk.” The teen says seriously.

Instinctively Dick flinches at those words. Damian is sounding so much like Bruce for a second he feels like he is ten years old again. It’s not his fault when his brother manages to make any conversation sound like an urgent board meeting. He resizes himself and walks into the kitchen, takes his coat off and sits at the table with his little brother. “I’m listening.” 

The boy straight up in his chair and look at him in the eyes. “I want to discuss the feasibility of restarting our partnership.” 

“You know we can work together anytime kiddo. You always welcome in Blüdhaven.” Dick says with a gentle smile.

“You don’t understand Grayson. I mean as a more permanent arrangement.” He replies and lowers his eyes on the cup in his hand. “You are doing a more than sufficient work here in Blüdhaven but with some of Gotham criminal trying to hide here, you have a handful. Not mentioning you have to balance your responsibility between this town, Gotham and the Titans.” 

The oldest watches him for a moment. It is clear that there is more to this but he can’t be too blunt as his ask or Damian would close himself off. “People might wonder why Robin is moving to Blüdhaven.”

“TT, events with their limited brain power, I think that most criminals have realized we are members of what the media call the bat clan or Bat family.” He says with disdain on his face before looking away again. “Anyway, I think it’s time for me to retire of being Robin.” Damian’s voice lowers.

To say that confession is throwing Dick out the loop is an understatement. “What?”

“You should not be surprised Grayson. All of you have outgrown that role at some point.” The boy says.

Dick shakes his head. “Damian, you realize that none of us really retire from being Robin. Bruce fired me, Jason died and I took it away from Tim to make you my Robin.” 

“Either way, you have all found your own identity after that.” Damian finally looks back at his brother. “I would only befit for me to find mine. I can’t be Robin forever.”

At this point beating around the bushes won’t give him an answer so the older vigilant decide to be more direct. “Tell me, Damian, what truly brought this up?”

Dick knows right away it wasn’t the thing to say when Damian’s face scrunches with anger. “You can simply tell me if you aren’t interested. I begin to recognize when I am unwanted.” He rises from his chair ready to fleet, but the acrobat is fast enough to grab his wrist. 

“Damian this is not what I said. Don’t twist my word.” He says firmly.

The younger man glares at the hand on his arms and Dick knows that anyone else would have been threatening to lose that hand. “Grayson.” He growls in a warning tone, but he could fool his brother. Dick could see the hurt and vulnerability in the younger vigilant face. 

That is the missing piece he needs to complete the complex puzzle that is Damian Wayne’s emotions.

Dick squeezes his wrist a little so the boy would look at him. Only when those green eyes meet his that he continues. “Is this about Bruce and Selina expecting a child?” he asks softly. 

That was the new has fallen yesterday and that what has brought his younger brother here in the first place.

The look on Damian’s face is answers enough. 

Even if the younger man has seemed to accept Bruce and Selina’s wedding, Dick knows it has hurt him. No matter how old Damian would get, deep down he is still a ten-year-old boy that want his parents to be together. He might have kept most of his complain for himself for his father’s happiness’ sake, but the news of a new sibling seems to have been too much. 

Dick sighs and pulls his brother closer to him so he could wrap his arms him for a hug. The lack of fighting or complain and the fact that the younger boy lean in his embrace worry him. This is affecting way more than he wants to admit. “Talk to me, little D.,” he mutters in a soft and patient tone. 

Damian presses his face more in his brother’s shoulder. “Father is getting the heir he always wanted… My chance of becoming Batman is becoming thinner.” He says weakly. “. I was trained for this all my life and now my destiny is slipping through my finger. I….I don’t know what else I can be.”

The older vigilantes rub his back softly trying to reassure him. “Damian, you are a bright young man with all his life in front of him, you can be anything you want.”

“Except Batman apparently.” The teen move back as much as he can with his Dick’s arms still around him. “Save me you’re pre-construct reassurance, Richard. I thought you have a higher opinion of me and my capacity to not treat me like a simple child.”  
Dick says. “It’s true … you don’t have to be what people want you to be, but become what you want.” 

“I am supposed to be my father’s legacy … that what I wanted.” He lowers his eyes unable to face his brother. At this point it’s hard to know if Damian is trying to prove a point or trying to convince himself.

Dick watches him. He remembers how lost Damian has been when he have thought Dick and Shawn were having a baby, how he feels like he was being replaced. He can imagine this is so much worst for Damian at the moment. “You still are Bruce’s legacy. That new baby is not here to take your place.”

Damian frowns a bit. “You don’t know that Grayson.”

He smiles softly. “I know so. You know why? Because I was here first. I have been here to witness every new kid been added to our family. Sure we have one of the most messes up families I know but we are always there for each other. Bruce is terrible at showing his emotions but he won’t stop loving you because of that baby.” He runs his finger in his brother’s hair. “You are his son and nothing would ever change that.”

“But I am supposed to be his heir…” Damian begins clearly missing the point. It not the first time that Dick feel like going to Talia and Ra’s and give them a piece of his mind about how they have mess up a wonderful boy self-worth, and sadly he knows it not the last time he would feel like this.

Dick let out a sigh. “Maybe one day you would be Batman, maybe not. No one knows what the future is holding.” He reaches to cup his cheek so they would lock eyes. “But you already carry the torch of one legacy: mine.”

“I don’t think I follow you.” Damian mutters weakly.

“As much as never plan for this, Robin is my legacy.” He says and smiles sadly. “And I give it to you. I won’t force this on you if you really don’t want to be Robin anymore, but I can’t think of anyone better than you to watching Batman’s back.”

The younger man blushes and lowers his head. “What if I really want to find my own hero persona?”

Dick smile at him. “Telling B to suck it up and become your own man; that is part of my legacy too.” He laughs weakly and slowly letting go when he is sure he won’t run away. “You can’t escape it kiddo.”

Damian rolls his eyes and sits back down in the chair he was occupying earlier. “You seem so eager for me to follow your legacy; maybe I should begin to look to be the next Nightwing.” It was a weak attempt teasing but Dick would take this as a small victory.

“Sorry Damian but I’m not planning on retiring anytime soon.” Dick laughs softly. “But you know Nightwing can always use a Flamebird at his side.”

The teen raise an eyebrow. “Flamebird?” 

“Wait, wait, wait. You are trying to tell me you are the one that have regular sleep over at the Kent and Clark never told you the legend about Nightwing and Flamebird?” Dick can’t hide his disbelieved.

“Those aren’t sleeping over, they are tactical relocation.” Damian blushes and looks away. “Not my fault that Kent refusing to understand I don’t need adult supervision at all times.”

“That doesn’t excuse that anyone have told you that story. It’s changed my life” Dick gets up. “Let me tell you about it during Dinner.” He grabs a bunch of pamphlets from the top of the fridge and drops it on the table. “I would even be a great brother and let you choose what we eat.” 

Damian looks at the paper and smiles weakly. “If I have to endure your story you have to let me patrol with you.” He says. 

Dick nods at him, “That for sure. Take time to choose I have a call to make.” 

Damian grabs one of the take-out pamphlets and opens it. “Richard, tell father I apologize and … offer my congratulations to him and Kyle.” He says quietly. 

The older man smiles weakly, he knows he could not fool him. “Sure.” He ruffles his hair softly before he moves into the living room. He wonders if other families have that kind of drama on daily basic as he watches his brother in the kitchen her realize he didn’t care. 

As much as he wants to keep Damian here with him he knows he needs to go back to Bruce and make peace with him. He knows Damian have all the qualities to become a fierce Big Brother for the little bat that is coming in there life. Until then, he just glad Damian still found solace with him after all those years. “We are truly the greatest.” He mutters as he calls Bruce.

**Author's Note:**

> Always taking promts on my tumblr < a href=”https://blackandbluegrayson.tumblr.com/” > https://blackandbluegrayson.tumblr.com/ < /a >


End file.
